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Buffets, Servers & Sideboards
You have your everyday dishes — and there are those you take out for special occasions. You can’t stack all in the same place, especially when care needs to be taken with your fine China and glasses, and that’s where buffets, servers and sideboards come in.
Today, these wooden storage fixtures are placed in your dining room, offering a cabinet design that sits flat against the floor or features shorter legs. However, in taking space into account, you may opt to place this piece in your living area.
The Differences Among Buffets, Servers and Sideboards
Sideboards, buffets and servers didn’t start out as wide, low-sitting cabinets. Instead, in Europe, they were used initially to display and serve food. Into the 20th century, designs began to include cabinets and drawers, providing space to store dishes, linens, glasses and other items.
Although their purposes are similar, a few differences exist:
- Sideboards and Buffets: Although both use a similar design, sideboards tend to be a hutch-style fixture placed in the living room. Buffets, meanwhile, are reserved for the dining room. Both, as the name implies, feature a flat surface on top for serving food and drinks, and include cabinet space below for storage or display purposes.
- Dining Room Servers: Visually, a server isn’t that different from a buffet. However, it tends to be smaller, a bit more ornate and may have legs supporting its base. As a result, servers aren’t just for displaying food — some may additionally opt to use them for dining. Beyond these differences, the body includes multiple cabinets and drawers for storing dishware and linens.
In determining which fixture to purchase:
- Decide where you will be placing your buffet, server or sideboard, and how much room that space offers.
- Think about what you’ll be storing inside, and the amount of space you’ll need.
- Examine how often and when you’d be using a buffet, server or sideboard. These fixtures tend to come in handy if you host dinner parties or large gatherings at your home, and need a place to keep food out.
Find Buffets, Servers & Sideboards at The RoomPlace
From white to dark finishes, classic wood to contemporary stylings, complete your dining room with a buffet, server or sideboard from The RoomPlace. Along with finding an array of unique pieces you won’t see anywhere else, we offer easy financing, fast delivery and our lowest-payment guarantee.